Dáil Éireann Debate, Thursday - 26 April 2018
229. Deputy Sean Fleming asked the Minister for Housing, Planning and Local Government the definition and meaning of unfinished developments in regard to the reference to this in the recent progress report on actions to address unfinished housing developments; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [18335/18]
Amharc ar fhreagra230. Deputy Jackie Cahill asked the Minister for Housing, Planning and Local Government if funding is available to address the issue of unfinished housing estates in which the developer is no longer in business and in cases in which all legal channels have been exhausted in view of the fact that local authorities do not have funds to finance these works; his plans to address this matter; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [18376/18]
Amharc ar fhreagra231. Deputy Jackie Cahill asked the Minister for Housing, Planning and Local Government the number of housing estates in County Tipperary in which all planning requirements were not completed by the developer thereby resulting in the local authority not being able to take them in charge; the number of housing units affected; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [18377/18]
Amharc ar fhreagraI propose to take Questions Nos. 229 to 231, inclusive, together.
My Department recently published the 2017 Annual Progress Report on Unfinished Housing Developments, which are regarded as developments not substantially complete in the context of the scope of works envisaged under the relevant planning permission. The report is available on my Department's website at the following link:
http://www.housing.gov.ie/sites/default/files/publications/files/unfinished_housing_developments_-_2017_annual_progress_report_0.pdf.
As outlined in that Report, the number of unfinished housing developments has reduced by 91% from around 3,000 developments in 2010 to 256 developments in 2017. In addition, the Report shows that 74% of Local Authority areas now contain less than 10 unfinished developments, with four local authority areas having no occupied unfinished developments.
Funding of the resolution and taking-in-charge process is now firmly centred around investment by housing providers and their funders, as well as income from bonds and securities. In view of the progress made within a predominantly housing provider, funder and local authority enforcement driven resolution process, the relatively small cohort of unfinished developments remaining and the scope for investment to resolve such developments in a recovering housing sector context, I have no current plans to allocate additional public funds in relation to unfinished developments.
The number of developments, and dwellings, deemed as 'unfinished' was recorded as part of the 2017 National Housing Developments Survey and figures at a county level are available at the following link: http://www.housing.gov.ie/sites/default/files/publications/files/final_national_figures_by_county.xls.
My Department does not hold information on the planning condition compliance situation in respect of all housing developments that may be impeding the taking-in-charge process, that being a matter for the relevant local authority.
However, a 2016 Taking In Charge Survey recorded an initial list of 295 estates that had not yet been taken in charge in Tipperary. Of these 295 estates, 96 were recorded as currently going through the taking-in-charge process. The survey details are available on my Department's website at the following link:
http://www.housing.gov.ie/sites/default/files/publications/files/initiative_to_accelerate_taking_in_charge_of_residential_estates_-_initial_list_0.pdf.
I expect the number of developments to be taken in charge will reduce over time and I will shortly be publishing updated figures alongside the report on the National Taking in Charge Initiative (NTICI), which will include findings and recommendations from the NTICI process.
